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This is the key to rethinking dashboards, and analytics as a whole.

We need to shift our focus to a user’s workflow and context first,
and then the insights they need and how they should be delivered,
second. When we prioritize analytics in this order, we find that
dashboards are simply one of many ways to deliver insights from
data to knowledge workers, and there are scenarios where a
dashboard is, in fact, still the best way to help them make the right
decisions.

‘Driving’ better decision making

One common everyday example of a dashboard is the tool in our

vehicles that we literally call a dashboard – and it is the perfect tool
for the job.

Here’s why: Drivers are continuously making decisions when

behind the wheel -whether to speed up, slow down, adjust the
wheel, how to adapt to road conditions or even the state of the
vehicle itself. These decisions can be life-changing and would be (https://www.digitaltwin-
conference.com/)
incredibly dangerous if we relied solely on intuition without hard
data to help us. This is where dashboards are critical. They provide
key insights by presenting multiple metrics that drivers can take in
at a glance and then immediately use to alter the vehicle in real-
time.

There are many similar real-time business scenarios where the

dashboard is the right way to embed insights from data: Energy
utilities want to track consumption and allocation. Hospital
emergency rooms need to manage supplies and watch patient
diagnostics. Warehouses must orchestrate the movement of
thousands of goods, vehicles, and personnel.

In these scenarios, we need a curated set of specific insights

precisely where we need to take action. Dashboards can help
workers be in and out, taking in real-time insights at a glance,
making decisions, and seamlessly repeating the process again and
again.

Unlocking the power of the new collaborative dashboard

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many business professionals

walked the halls of their offices, passing by TVs presenting
dashboards of company KPIs. Some businesses may return to
connecting in the office, while others will meet virtually through
online meeting rooms, collaborative apps, and company portals.
Many will do both. These shared workspaces represent a type of
collective point of consumption, a place where teams of workers
make decisions together, and they are a prime location to embed
insights from data in the form of dashboards.
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Shared dashboards are the perfect way to deliver analytics for
page.
groups for two reasons: First, dashboards contain the same set of
metrics, no matter the viewer.
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field.

Second, shared dashboards are asynchronous, allowing teams to

stay informed about critical, but less urgent insights based on their
individual workflows. This enables teams who must take action
collectively, such as in a meeting, to act together as one. At the
same time, others who simply need to be informed can remain
focused on their work without distraction. In the end, the whole
organization remains on the same page, at everyone’s own pace
based on their needs.

A new era of business intelligence

With each successive generation of analytics and business

intelligence, we move where we get insights from data closer to
where we use those insights to make decisions. This is how we
increase analytics adoption, and why we must always prioritise
people’s workflows and points of consumption. The way people
work should inform how we should deliver analytics to them, and
not the other way around.

Take analysts, for example, whose work is to make sense of data. It

is not a separate application; it is their main one. It makes sense
then, for them to spend their time in dashboards and BI tools. For
salespeople, a dashboard could be useful when they first sign into
their CRM, getting a quick overview of their progress towards their
quota, or which accounts to follow up with. For doctors, mechanics,
or facility managers, dashboards at a glance can be critical to their
jobs. In each instance, the dashboard is a sensible way to deliver
insights based on the user’s workflow and context.

The future is data-driven

There’s no question that being data-driven continues to become an

essential component of business innovation that drives growth. ​In a
recent survey by International Data Corporation (IDC)
(https://www.sisense.com/whitepapers/every-company-a-data-
company-building-in-the-age-of-big-data-ai/) on behalf of Sisense,
66% of business leaders said the ability to deeply embed analytics
into applications and processes was very or extremely important to
them.

Ultimately, how we present insights from data is just one of several

choices. Going beyond the dashboard doesn’t mean eliminating
dashboards entirely, in the same way there are specific instances
where we need IT-led reporting. 

The future is simple: Find where knowledge workers take action,

and then find the right way to present insights to augment their
work. In some cases, the dashboard will be the right choice, and
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ultimately drives efficiency, accuracy
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in today’s fast-paced, ‘big data’ digital environment.

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